* * * * * War clouds are hanging low over South America. Two rebellions have broken out there. The first is in Brazil. Brazil is the largest of the South American countries. The Amazon, which you all remember is the greatest river in the world, flows through Brazil. Until 1889 Brazil was a monarchy, the only monarchy in South America. In November of that year there was a revolution, the Emperor was dethroned, and forced to leave the country. It has been a republic ever since, under the name of the United States of Brazil. In February last a rebellion broke out which it was found had been started by the monarchists. Monarchists are people who would rather be ruled by a monarch than by the will of the people. In Brazil there is quite a large party of these monarchists, who would gladly see an emperor on the throne again. The news from Brazil states that there has been some heavy fighting between the two parties, and that the government troops have been defeated, and one of the favorite generals killed. The people are so indignant over this, that they are mobbing houses and places of business belonging to people who sympathize with the monarchists. The Government has sent 10,000 troops to Bahia, where the fighting is at present going on, and is determined to put the war down with a firm hand. * * * * * The other war is in Uruguay. Uruguay is a small republic just south of Brazil. This is another civil war. The President has become unpopular with the people, and they are trying to get rid of him and put some one else in his place. This little war is hardly worth speaking of at all. Toy revolutions are constantly occurring first in one and then another of the South American republics, and people have grown so accustomed to them that they hardly notice them now. Uruguay, though a very small country, is particularly fond of these disturbances. The entire population of the whole country is no larger than that of the city of Brooklyn, but this handful of people manage to have enough revolts and disturbances to keep the country in constant excitement. This present tempest is receiving more attention than is usual because it is supposed that the monarchists of Brazil are stirring the people of Uruguay to rebellion, with the hope of overthrowing both governments at the same time, joining the two countries together, and uniting them under the one emperor. If this report is true the matter is worthy of serious attention, because Brazil is not one of the little insignificant republics whose perpetual disturbances affect no one but themselves, but a large and important country, and changes in the government of Brazil would be liable to affect all the other countries which trade with it. * * * * *